Charlotte woman looking for suspect who stole her car with her dog inside

CHARLOTTE, NC — A Charlotte woman’s search to find her dog is coming up cold. On Sunday, her car was stolen from her apartment’s parking lot. Her dog Julio was inside the car.

“It’s been a nightmare,” said Jayla Gittens of having her dog stolen.

Gittens was moving out of her north Charlotte apartment off Prosperity road near the 485 loop. She left her car running as she finished packing the final boxes, when she came out, the car was gone along with her 6-year-old French bulldog.

“A terrible mistake. I usually would never do something like that, but I was just so preoccupied,” Gittens said of leaving Julio in the car.

Gittens said a neighbor saw a man jump in her running car and drive off.

Gittens said her former apartment complex, gave CMPD surveillance video of the incident but not to her.

CMPD gave her an image of the man they believe is the suspect.

French bulldogs are some of the most stolen dogs, but Gittens doesn’t believe he was initially targeting her dog.

“I think he jumped in and saw the dog and said, well, I can make a quick buck off this too,” explained Gittens.

Despite surveillance video and several tips on social media claiming to have seen the man and her 2022 white Honda Civic just a couple of miles from the scene, her car and more importantly her dog, have not been returned.

“I just really want my dog, and I just really want whoever has him to understand that this dog means so much to me,” explained Gittens.